for MIKETZ

for CHANUKA

Yosef and his Brothers

In Parshat Miketz, Yosef rises to royalty in Egypt. Yet, despite his high position, not once does he attempt to contact his father. Does Yosef no longer care for his father who loved him so dearly and now grieves for his lost son? Last week, in Parshat Vayeshev, Yaakov Avinu's ten sons conspired to kill their own brother for what appears to be petty jealousy! Can there be any excuse for this cruel behavior? This week's shiur attempts to tackle these difficult questions by projecting the "bechira process" - the theme of Sefer Breishit - onto the story of Yosef and his brothers.

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Chanuka's Biblical Roots

Is it simply by chance that Chanuka falls out on the 25th of Kislev? Most students would answer a definite "Yes." After all, isn't the reason for the date of Chanuka based on the popular acronym - chanu b'chaf heh - they rested [from battle] on the 25th (of Kislev)? Hence, had the battle ended (and/or had the miracle of the Menorah taken place) on a different day, Chanuka would have been celebrated on that day instead. Correct? Not really! A closer examination of various traditional sources relating to Chanuka indicates quite the opposite. So why do we celebrate Chanuka on "Chanuka?" In this shiur, we attempt to explain why.

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Chanuka shiur - Part Two

Part Two of the Chanuka shiur, relating to the connection between Chanuka and the winter solstice.

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Chanukat Ha'Nsiim - The Torah Reading for Chanuka

Did you ever notice the last pasuk in Parshat Naso? Probably not, but if you did - it most certainly would have bothered you! We'll begin this week's shiur by explaining why that pasuk 'should have bothered you'. Then we will suggest a solution that will help us understand both the structure of Parshat Naso and the importance of national unity.

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Menachem Leibtag